Ohio Birth Injury Lawyers
Fighting For Your Baby's Future
Expectant mothers and their babies rely on medical professionals to give them the necessary care. Before a baby is born, it is crucial for doctors to identify and treat any conditions that arise, like decreased fetal activity or risk of premature delivery, to prevent harm caused during the birthing process. When doctors, nurses, midwives, hospitals, and other medical professionals fail to exercise reasonable care, it can result in a baby being injured before, during, or immediately after delivery.
According to a study published in the Journal of Pediatrics, for every 1,000 hospital births, there were approximately 6.2 infants who sustained birth injuries. In 2021, there were 129,791 live births in Ohio, which means that around 805 babies are born with birth injuries in the state each year. If your child suffered a birth injury due to a medical professional's negligence, it's essential to work with an experienced Ohio birth injury attorney who can help you hold all healthcare providers accountable for the irreparable harm they have caused to your child and family.
At Miller Weisbrod Olesky, our Birth Injury Lawyers in Ohio understand that medical negligence can have devastating physical, emotional, and financial consequences. We have successfully resolved numerous birth injury cases in Ohio and handled birth injury cases in Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus, and other cities around the state. Our law firm also handles cases against major hospitals in Ohio, including UC Medical Center and Ohio Health Hospitals, when their doctors and physicians commit medical malpractice. Let our highly accomplished leaders in the birth injury field put our passion and dedication to obtaining optimum results to work for you.
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Birth Injury Lawyers in Ohio
1-888-987-0005Our Ohio Birth Injury Lawyers are available to meet you in your home or the hospital.
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Recent Birth Injury Settlement:
Birth Injury settlement against a hospital in which nurses and physicians failed to properly monitor the mother's blood pressure during delivery causing an HIE event resulting in neonatal seizures and cerebral palsy at birth. Our national birth injury lawyers recovered $13,750,000 for the family to help with future medical expenses and developmental therapy.
Other
Multi-Million Dollar
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With the recovery that Miller Weisbrod made for our son, I feel like our voice was heard in a sense of what can possibly go wrong in a delivery and finding us answers. I feel with our settlement, we are now in a comfortable position to provide for our son. Things are different because he's able to be in his own space. He's developing well. He is starting to speak a little bit more and live a bit more independently. He is also in school full-time and he gets help from his nurse aid that helps him with all his appointments, all his therapy. Pretty much, I feel like it kind of helped us in a good way. I feel like they care about your personal needs and how to make you comfortable in any situation.
Lyric, C.
Mother of
Miller Weisbrod Olesky Client
Registered Nurses and Nurse-Attorneys Are a Vital Part of Our Birth Injury Team … and Yours
Most national birth injury law firms will employ one or two nurses to assist the review of cases and medical research. But Miller Weisbrod Olesky offers an unmatched number of nurses and nurse-attorney employees support to both the birth injury attorneys and our clients.
Our team of registered nursing staff and nurse-attorneys bring a deep level of medical and personal insight to every client’s case. Working closely with the rest of the team, they investigate the reasons behind a birth injury and how medical professionals breached their standard of care...But they do much more.
For our clients, our nurses and nurse-attorneys provide valuable support with medical questions and finding healthcare providers.
While Miller Weisbrod Olesky’s birth injury attorneys in Ohio aggressively prepare each legal case, another department goes into action to help the families of children we represent. Led by a nurse-attorney, this department acts as a medical case manager for our birth injury clients by:
- Regularly monitoring the child’s medical treatment status,
- Helping facilitate medical treatment and therapy, and
- Arranging transportation and services.
Where necessary, we also help families locate local medical providers specializing in the care and treatment of children who have suffered a birth injury. With Miller Weisbrod Olesky, you’re not just a ‘case’. And that’s important when you’re looking for a lawyer who can help you cope with your child’s needs today.
Medical Mistakes that Result in Birth Injuries
Healthcare professionals are trained to keep mothers and their babies safe even in the most complex situations that arise during and/or shortly after birth. When doctors and other medical providers miss critical warning signs of fetal distress or fail to respond quickly, it can lead to a devastating birth injury. Families of children who suffered a birth injury may be entitled to compensation to cover the often very significant cost of caring for a child with birth injuries.
Medical Negligence Before Birth
- Failure to diagnose or misdiagnosing gestational diabetes in a pregnant mother
- Failure to test for or treat maternal infections such as Group B Streptococcus
- Failure to diagnose and adequately treat preeclampsia
- Failure to diagnose an ectopic pregnancy or improperly administering treatment
- Failure to provide proper prenatal care
- Failure to carefully monitor a mother and her unborn baby
- Failure to refer a pregnant woman to a high-risk obstetrician if she requires more specialized care or observation
- Failure to detect fetal macrosomia (a newborn that is larger than average)
- Failure to recognize and respond to signs of premature labor
- Incorrectly prescribing medication or treatment that harms a mother or the fetus
Medical Negligence During Childbirth
- Failure to regularly watch a fetal heart monitor and respond to signs of fetal distress
- Failure to diagnose or treat an umbilical cord complication (umbilical cord prolapse and compression)
- Pulling on the baby's head or neck too hard during a difficult delivery
- Improper use of birth-aiding tools like forceps or vacuum extractors
- Failure to adequately address an abnormally prolonged labor & delivery (failure to progress)
- Delaying or failing to perform a medically necessary cesarean section (C-section)
- Improper administration of labor-inducing drugs (Pitocin and Cytotec) during labor
Medical Negligence After Delivery
- Failure to identify and take the proper steps to respond to postpartum hemorrhage
- Failure to correctly diagnose and treat newborn jaundice before it progresses to kernicterus
- Failure to diagnose and provide treatment for neonatal hypoglycemia
- Discharging the mother and her newborn too soon
- Failure to treat neonatal infections (sepsis, meningitis, group B streptococcus, e-coli)
- Failure to test the mother and her newborn for blood type incompatibility
- Failure to carefully monitor the baby's vital signs (i.e., pulse, temperature, respiratory rate)
- Failure to prevent uterine rupture or perform an emergency C-section when a uterine rupture occurs
- Failure to treat neonatal seizures
- Failure to properly diagnose HIE and provide hypothermia therapy
- Failure to transfer the infant to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)
- Failure to properly care for vaginal tears or rips
- Delaying in performing neonatal resuscitation
The mismanagement of any of these conditions can lead to a serious birth injury that necessitates a lifetime of special treatment and care. Our Ohio birth injury lawyers at Miller Weisbrod Olesky can help file a claim against the negligent party or parties responsible for your child's birth injury and evaluate the potential damages in your case to determine how much you may be eligible to recover.
Birth Injuries Commonly Caused by Medical Negligence
Birth Injury Medical Negligence can cause a variety of different birth injuries in babies. Depending on the severity of the birth injury, a child may suffer from a permanent disability that lasts throughout their lifetime. If your baby has suffered birth injuries, you should be aware of how these injuries can develop and what legal steps you can take to recover compensation for the cost of your child's care and other losses. Here are the most common types of injuries a baby can suffer due to medical malpractice.
Hypoxic and Ischemic Injuries
Trauma to an infant's brain caused by negligent care before, during, or after birth can cause a baby to become deprived of oxygen (hypoxia or asphyxia) or lead to reduced blood flow (ischemia) to the fetus. Oxygen and blood flow decreases can result in a baby developing hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE).
HIE is a severe brain disorder that may be caused by:
- Prolonged pressure on the brain during contractions that last for an abnormally long period of time.
- Umbilical cord problems like the umbilical cord becoming prolapsed and compressed by the fetus and womb.
- The misuse of labor-inducing drugs like Pitocin and Cytotec often causes frequent contractions (uterine tachysystole) that can cause a baby to experience dangerous levels of oxygen deprivation.
- A complication of pregnancy known as preeclampsia is characterized by high blood pressure and protein in the urine. When a doctor fails to detect and adequately treat preeclampsia, the baby may experience reduced blood flow and develop HIE.
- Babies born prematurely are more prone to having blood flow issues to the brain and intracranial hemorrhages due to the immature development of their brain and other organs.
According to a study published by the National Library of Medicine (NLM), approximately 60% of infants affected by HIE will have severe disabilities, including epilepsy, cerebral palsy, developmental delays, and cognitive impairments. Medical professionals should closely monitor a mother and her baby during pregnancy and adequately manage any pregnancy-related complications that arise to help prevent hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE).
Failure to Detect and Respond to Fetal Distress
When a doctor or other medical professionals fail to detect and respond to signs of fetal distress, it can lead to devastating birth injuries like cerebral palsy, HIE, anoxic and hypoxic brain injuries, and even stillbirth.
Fetal heart rate monitoring allows healthcare providers to measure a baby's heart rate and rhythm. If the fetal heart rate signals that the baby is in fetal distress, doctors and other healthcare providers must intervene immediately to prevent oxygen deprivation and reduced blood flow to the baby's brain.
When a baby suffers from a complete lack of oxygen (asphyxia) or decreased oxygen (hypoxia), it can cause the baby to suffer a severe birth injury, including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, CP, and metabolic fetal acidosis.
Monitoring a baby during labor and delivery with electronic fetal monitoring equipment is also critical to detect whether or not bradycardia is occurring. The medical term for an abnormally low heart rate is fetal bradycardia.
A slow and irregular heart rhythm is the most common indicator that the baby is suffering from fetal distress. If a medical provider fails to notice abnormalities in heart rate and/or delays treatment when fetal distress is detected, it may lead to serious long-term effects, including brain damage, paralysis, hypoxia or anoxia, and cerebral palsy.
Misuse of Pitocin
Pitocin is administered to either strengthen or induce contractions during the labor and childbirth process. For example, a medical professional may decide to induce labor with Pitocin when a mother has maternal diabetes, preeclampsia, or failure to progress.
If Pitocin is improperly administered, a pregnant mother may begin having contractions that are too strong and/or close together. Excessive uterine activity (uterine tachysystole) can deprive a fetus of oxygen and lead to emergency complications like uterine rupture, which may be life-threatening and result in long-term outcomes for the baby, including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, Cerebral Palsy, and seizure disorders. Medical professionals should immediately lower the dosage of labor-enhancing drugs or stop administration entirely when a woman shows signs of tachysystole to prevent fetal oxygen deprivation.
Prolonged or Arrested Labor
Allowing labor to continue for too long can be dangerous for a mother and her baby. Prolonged labor refers to labor that lasts over 20 hours for first-time mothers and over 14 hours for mothers who have previously given birth. Arrested labor, also known as failure to progress, occurs when the delivery process stops completely.
When a medical professional fails to diagnose or respond to labor that progresses too slowly or stops altogether, the baby can suffer an intracranial hemorrhage, fetal distress due to oxygen deprivation, and be at risk for developing long-term injuries such as cerebral palsy, HIE, and seizure disorders.
Mistakes shortly after Birth
Examples of acts of medical negligence occurring shortly after birth include failure to promptly identify and adequately treat neonatal hypoglycemia, newborn jaundice, uterine ruptures, and respiratory distress syndrome, which can cause devastating injuries to a mother and her newborn.
Some examples of birth complications that may arise from mistakes shortly after birth are an anoxic or hypoxic, brain injury, cerebral palsy, Erb's palsy, and HIE. After birth, medical professionals are responsible for monitoring and responding to any complications that may arise to prevent harm to a mother and her infant.
Head Injuries
Bruises and swelling can happen when too much pressure is put on the baby's scalp, typically during a prolonged or difficult delivery. Swelling can also occur when a doctor or other medical professional improperly or negligently uses a vacuum extractor or forceps to assist with difficult vaginal delivery.
When a physician misuses instruments like forceps or vacuum extractors, it can leave scratches on an infant's scalp. Minor bruising and scratches usually heal on their own unless they become infected. Serious injuries caused by brain swelling and brain bleeds, like cephalhematoma, intracranial hemorrhage, and subgaleal hemorrhage, are commonly caused by trauma to the head resulting from improper use of birth-aiding tools (forceps, vacuum extractors).
How Can Birth Injuries Be Prevented?
While it is not always possible to prevent every birth complication that may arise, doctors and other healthcare professionals can reduce the risks of pregnancy-related complications by closely monitoring the mother and baby for warning signs and responding immediately with proper treatment.
Some of the most important aspects of birth injury prevention include:
- Providing proper prenatal care
- Detecting and responding to signs of fetal distress
- Taking measures to suppress preterm labor
- Performing an emergency C-section if complications arise
- Delivering the best care to NICU babies, including neonatal resuscitation
Early Treatment Options That Minimize Birth Injuries
Some treatment options that can help potentially prevent or minimize the severity of a birth injury
- A cervical cerclage to prevent premature birth due to an incompetent cervix
- Therapeutic hypothermia to slow down the spread of damage that occurs to the brain after a birth injury
- Betamethasone is a type of corticosteroid that minimizes the risk of serious respiratory problems in preterm infants and reduces the risk of intracranial hemorrhages, cerebral palsy, and neonatal seizures.
In treating a birth injury, time is of the essence, and the sooner a child receives treatment and therapy, the better their chances of being able to adapt to the world around them comfortably. Each birth injury is unique, and the recommended treatments and therapies will depend on the type of injury sustained as well as the severity. A team of knowledgeable physicians like neonatologists and therapists can advise you on which treatments may be best for your child and build a personalized care plan.
Long-Term Treatment & Therapy Options for a Birth Injury
Standard treatment options used for birth injuries include
- Adaptive Equipment: Children with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), brachial plexus injury, cerebral palsy, and spinal cord injuries can benefit from adaptive equipment like crutches, braces, wheelchairs, and catheters. Hearing aids, automated speech generators, and communication boards can help a child with cerebral palsy express their needs and feelings.
- Medications: Children with cerebral palsy can significantly benefit from medication (Baclofen) that reduces spasms and seizures. Additionally, muscle relaxers (Dexmedetomidine) can make a child with a brachial plexus injury more comfortable and relaxed during physical therapy. In children with mild to moderate spastic cerebral palsy, Botox can reduce muscle tightness.
- Occupational Therapy: Children with shoulder dystocia, Erb's palsy, sensory processing disorders, and traumatic injuries to the brain and spinal cord can practice their fine motor skills and be better able to perform daily activities with the help of occupational therapy. An occupational therapist can teach your child to perform basic tasks such as brushing their teeth and establishing daily routines that promote independence.
- Physical Therapy: Children with Erb's palsy can build muscle strength and increase their range of motion with physical therapy. Physical therapy can also help improve mobility and minimize pain for children with cerebral palsy and other physical issues caused by a birth injury.
- Speech-Language Therapy: Children with cerebral palsy and other feeding and communication issues resulting from birth injuries may benefit from working with a speech-language pathologist. A speech therapist can help your child express their emotions, improve their communication skills and feeding, and strengthen the muscles involved in speech and oral motor skills. Augmentative/alternative communication devices can also help children develop their ability to share their thoughts with other people.
- Surgery: Children suffering from severe nerve damage or fractures may require surgical intervention. A doctor may recommend surgery to reverse the effects of brachial plexus injuries caused by negligent care during labor and delivery. Hip muscle release surgery can alleviate pain and prevent dislocation in children with cerebral palsy who develop hip subluxation. A surgeon may also recommend a selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) for children who are affected by spasticity.
When you think of healthcare professionals that could be held liable in a birth injury negligence lawsuit, you might automatically think of doctors and nurses. In addition to doctors, defendants in a medical negligence lawsuit can be any healthcare provider or medical facility that causes harm or injury to a patient. A skilled birth injury lawyer in Ohio can investigate the facts of your case and determine who may be responsible for your child's birth injury.
Birth Injuries In Ohio
In Ohio, there are about 140,000 births each year. Sadly, though, infant mortality has been a concern for public health officials in Ohio for far too long. The infant mortality rate in Ohio was approximately 7.2 deaths per 1,000 live births, which is 24.1% higher than the national average (5.4 deaths per 1000 live births). According to the Health Policy Institute's 2023 Health Value Dashboard, Ohio ranks 44th out of 50 states for infant mortality. Among these infant deaths, 2% are related to fatal birth injuries.
Within the first 28 days after birth, children are most likely to suffer fatal birth injuries. According to the Ohio Department of Health, 864 infants died before reaching their first birthday in 2020. Infants who die within the first 28 days after birth are usually afflicted with conditions or diseases related to inadequate treatment and care immediately after birth. In Ohio, infants died because of external injuries in 0.8 out of 1000 live births.
Although the majority of births go according to plan, medical errors can sometimes happen intentionally or by accident and remain the leading cause of accidental death in the United States. According to a study conducted by the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project in a single year, almost 157,700 injuries were potentially avoidable to mothers and newborns. In fact, data on obstetrical (OB) claims shows that 40% of obstetric claims result from alleged negligence during labor management.
Some of the most common examples of medical negligence that occurs before, during, or after delivery include failure to monitor the mother and fetus during administration of labor-inducing medications, failure to identify and respond to a non-reassuring fetal heart rate status (NRFHRS), and failure to recognize and promptly address obstetric emergencies. It is estimated that 41% of OB claims involving injuries to babies result in neurological/brain damage, while 34% lead to fetal death. Among vacuum-assisted deliveries, the incidence of maternal and neonatal complications was significantly higher.
Birth injuries caused by assistive delivery tools (such as forceps or vacuum extractors) are most common among women between 25 and 34 years old. In vaginal deliveries without assistive delivery tools, mothers aged 15-17 are most likely to suffer birth injuries. In 0.6% of vacuum-assisted deliveries, subgaleal hematoma (a life-threatening brain bleed) was the most serious birth complication. Among the leading causes of neonatal death are preterm birth, intrapartum complications such as birth asphyxia, and maternal infections.
Who Is Held Responsible for Birth Injury Medical Negligence?
Doctors, nurses, hospitals, and other medical professionals have a duty to provide a mother and her baby with the best possible care at all times. When healthcare providers and hospitals fail to meet the required standard of care, they may be held liable for medical negligence. Several parties may be held liable for a child's birth injuries, and in some cases, liability may be shared among multiple parties.
Some examples of healthcare providers and/or entities that can be held liable for medical negligence
- Obstetricians (OB-GYN)
- Other obstetric professionals
- Anesthesiologists
- Pediatricians, including pediatric neurologists
- Midwives
- Nurses
- Labor and delivery nurses
- Neonatal nurses and aids
- Radiologists
- Neonatologists or pediatricians providing neonatal care
- Respiratory therapists
- Hospitals and medical facilities
- Hospital administrators
- Other hospital staff members
- Maternal-fetal medicine physicians and specialists (MFM)
- Laboratory staff
Hospitals may be held "vicariously" if a patient suffers harm due to the negligent actions of their employees. For example, hospitals may be held vicariously liable for a doctor's failure to monitor a mother and her baby before, during, or after delivery.
A hospital may also face direct liability for its own negligent actions or omissions. For instance, hospitals may be liable for failing to staff certain units properly or for labeling medication improperly. When bringing a medical malpractice claim against a negligent healthcare provider, the plaintiff (injured party) must present sufficient evidence to show that the defendant (healthcare provider) breached their duty of care and caused the plaintiff to suffer an injury. Our Ohio birth injury lawyers have handled cases against major hospitals, including including UC Medical Center and Ohio Health Hospitals.
Elements of Medical Negligence in a Birth Injury Case
When a child and their family have been affected by sub-standard medical care, pursuing a medical malpractice lawsuit against the negligent doctor, hospital, nurse, or other medical professional can help them recover compensation to cover the cost of their child's current and lifelong needs.
If you decide to file a birth injury claim, your birth injury attorney in Ohio will have the burden of presenting evidence to prove that your child's birth injury was caused by medical malpractice. The following are the four key elements that must be established in a medical malpractice claim related to a birth injury:
- Duty of care: The plaintiff (pregnant mother) must establish that they had an existing relationship with the physician or other healthcare provider. Once this has been established, the doctor has a duty to provide reasonable care to a mother and her child during childbirth.
- Breach of duty of care: The physician failed to provide an expected standard of care that another medical professional would have provided under the same or similar circumstances. This is what is commonly known as "medical negligence" or "medical malpractice."
- Causation: The doctor's breach of duty (negligence/malpractice) was a cause or contributing cause of the birth injury.
- Damages: The doctor's negligence caused the child to suffer compensable damages (i.e., lost income, the cost of medical care, disability, mental anguish, and pain and suffering).
Establishing these legal elements requires testimony from expert witnesses. Medical professionals with extensive experience in the relevant field and knowledge of accepted practices within that specialty can offer invaluable insight as expert witnesses and play a critical role in determining whether negligence occurred. A qualified birth injury law firm like Miller Weisbrod Olesky works with highly regarded experts across the United States.
A birth injury lawyer in Ohio can find out who is at fault for your child's injuries and hold them accountable for their actions. Your dedicated attorney will begin investigating the facts of your case as soon as possible and gather all relevant evidence to support your claim.
Types of Evidence Required in Birth Injury Cases
Compiling evidence that demonstrates the harm your child has endured due to a medical provider's negligent care is essential to substantiating the cause of your child's birth injury and building the strongest case possible. If you're considering filing a birth injury claim, the types of evidence you may need will ultimately depend on the specifics of your case.
Be sure to gather up your child's medical records and keep notes on any doctor's appointments, medications, therapy, and records of any communication you have had with your physician and/or the hospital. If you do not know how to gather these records, quickly hiring an expert birth injury attorney like those at Miller Weisbrod Olesky can gather these records on your behalf.
Common types of evidence your Ohio birth injury lawyer will gather on your behalf:
- Medical records of the baby's birth injury and any follow-up care
- The mother's medical records during pregnancy, labor, and delivery
- Witness interviews from anyone involved in the delivery (obstetricians, nurses, and other medical professionals)
- Test results, X-rays, and MRI scans
- Expert testimony from medical experts in the same or related field, financial experts, actuaries, and life-care planners
- The estimated cost of any future treatment the child will need
- Previous complaints filed against the medical professional
- Invoices, check stubs, or work schedules showing income you've lost as a result of your infant's injury
- The medical professional's employment and disciplinary records
- A detailed account of the events that occurred before, during, or after delivery
- Physician, nursing, and operative notes
- Records detailing the administration of any medication
- Photos and videos of the labor, delivery, and even your child's injuries
- Documentation that describes co-existing conditions or complications
- Medical bills for any injury-related costs
- Other bills and receipts showing any additional costs you've incurred
- Hospital orders, policies, and records
Our birth injury attorneys in Ohio will consult with one or more expert medical witnesses who can demonstrate how a doctor, hospital, or other healthcare provider's actions or failure to act led to your child's birth injury. Expert testimony is typically required to establish the standard of care a reasonable medical professional in the same specialty would have provided in a similar or the same situation.
We will also consult with physicians, life care planners, and economists who can provide an opinion regarding your child's long-term medical needs and diminished ability to earn income in the future due to the injury. In pursuing compensation, strong evidence is crucial to prove liability and demonstrate the extent of the harm caused by the medical provider's negligence.
Available Compensation in a Ohio Birth Injury Claim
The compensation you could receive if your child has suffered a birth injury due to medical negligence can help you cover expenses associated with your child's injury, including the cost of lifelong care. The settlement amount you may be awarded in a birth injury claim will depend on several factors, including the level of medical negligence that took place. Damages in birth injury cases are generally divided into two categories; economic and non-economic losses.
Economic Damages
These damages typically include any direct financial losses you or your child have suffered as a result of the birth injury.
- Medical bills and life care expenses (including the cost of any future medical care)
- Rehabilitation and therapy costs (occupational, physical, speech, behavioral, and cognitive)
- The cost of attendant and home health care
- Parents loss of income or wages due to caring for their child if they are unable to or must take time off work (including future loss of income)
- The cost of medication
- The cost of adaptive equipment and technology (hearing aids, specialized keyboards, and wheelchairs)
- Lost future earning capacity (if the child's birth injury impacts the child's ability to work in the future)
- The cost of special education and tutors
- Home and vehicle modification costs (such as ramps or accessible bathrooms)
- The cost of surgery or other specialized treatment
- The cost of diagnostic testing
Non-economic Damages
Non-economic damages are meant to compensate birth injury victims for more subjective forms of harm, such as pain and suffering or emotional distress.
- Pain and suffering
- Diminished quality of life
- Disability and Physical Impairment
- Disfigurement and permanent scarring
- Mental Anguish
- Anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Loss of consortium
Punitive or exemplary damages may be awarded when the at-fault party's conduct is grossly negligent, reckless, intentional, or malicious. These damages are designed to punish the negligent healthcare professional for their extreme carelessness or disregard and deter others from making the same mistakes in the future.
Some of the factors that may be considered in determining the amount of compensation you may be awarded include the severity of your child's birth injury, the extent of economic losses you've incurred, and the long-term effects of the injury on your child's quality of life.
To determine the potential amount you're owed, a Ohio birth injury lawyer will investigate the details of your case and determine which damages apply in your case. It is crucial to remember that the statute of limitations sets the maximum time you have to initiate legal proceedings. Missing the deadline could prevent you from filing a lawsuit altogether.
No Time to Waste: Birth Injury Statute of Limitations Ohio
The Statute of Limitations (SOL) for Ohio birth injury cases dictates the time period by which an injured victim must file a lawsuit against a negligent healthcare provider or hospital. For adults, the statute of limitations in an Ohio medical malpractice case is generally one year from the date of the negligence. For children, the statute of limitations is slightly different. A birth injury lawsuit for a child must be filed no later than the day the child turns 18 years old, after which they'll have one year to file the claim. So, practically speaking, a birth-injured child will have until their 19th birthday to file a birth injury lawsuit.
Section 2305.113 | Medical Malpractice actions for Ohio: For adults the statute of limitations in a medical malpractice is generally one year from the date of the negligence. For children, the statute of limitations is slightly different. A birth injury lawsuit for a child must be filed no later than the day the child turns 19 years old.Different (or even shorter) statute of limitations may apply if your child was born in a state or U.S. government hospital. These may include a military hospital or a federally funded hospital or clinic involved in the care of expectant mothers and their children prior to birth. The clock usually begins ticking at the date of injury; however, under the discovery rule, the statute of limitations starts to run when the injured person discovers or should have reasonably discovered the injury.
If the statute of limitations runs out in your case, you may miss your chance to recover compensation for your child. Determining when a statute of limitations starts running is often tricky and best handled by our experienced Ohio Birth Injury Lawyers who can determine the deadlines that apply to your child's specific case.
Miller Weisbrod Olesky Is Different from Most Law Firms…We Provide Help Now!
Many birth injury law firms focus only on pursuing their client's legal cases. At Miller Weisbrod Olesky, we know your child needs help today – not just when your birth injury lawsuit is settled. Our team focuses on helping our clients NOW when they need it most.
We know that children with birth injuries like hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and cerebral palsy often require intense therapy, specialized medical treatment, and assistive care. The stress of providing for a birth-injured child's needs can be both emotionally and financially draining.
But just 'knowing' this is not enough. We act on this knowledge by providing exceptional services to birth-injured children and their families.
What Can Our Ohio Birth Injury Lawyers Do for You?
As Ohio Birth Injury Lawyers, we fight to get justice for our clients. We believe in holding negligent medical professionals accountable for their negligence.
- Discussing your case with you in detail
- Using our extensive resources to investigate your baby's records thoroughly
- Providing nurse-attorneys and nursing staff who understand what has happened medically
- Consulting with experts who understand how you and your child should have been treated
- Seeking compensation for your baby's injuries from the people who caused them
Miller Weisbrod Olesky's Dedication to Clients
Schedule A Free Consultation with a Ohio Birth Injury Lawyer Today
Was your child born with a traumatic birth injury? Do they have severe disabilities and struggles that are financially and emotionally exhausting? Medical malpractice and preventable medical mistakes could be the cause of your child's injury. If so, we can help.
Schedule a free consultation with one of our experienced Ohio Birth Injury Attorneys. We have the skills and resources to investigate your potential claim. Our registered nurses and nurse-attorneys on staff provide a deeper understanding of medical issues and an unmatched level of care to our clients. And we don't get paid until we win your case. Call (888) 987-0005 to get started or send us a completed contact form.
We do not collect a fee until we win your case. You're facing some challenging decisions – whether someone caused your baby's birth injury and how to hold them accountable. As experienced Birth Injury Attorneys in Ohio, we have obtained multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements for clients like you. The millions of dollars our clients received were used for therapies, treatments, assistive devices, caregivers, and planning for the future. Don't hesitate to get in touch with us today to discuss your unique circumstances.
Our birth injury lawyers at Miller Weisbrod Olesky know how complex birth injury lawsuits can be. With a deep understanding of Ohio medical malpractice laws and regulations, our attorneys have the skills and knowledge to hold negligent healthcare professionals and hospitals accountable for their actions.
Our nationally-recognized birth injury law firm has successfully represented countless medical malpractice clients in over 20 states and secured multi-million dollar results. The emotional and financial toll that birth injuries can take on families is often overwhelming, which is why we dedicate ourselves to providing effective representation for all our clients and fighting for the maximum compensation available in their cases.
If your child's birth injury was caused by medical negligence, we encourage you to get in touch with us as soon as you're ready to take legal action by calling our toll-free line at 888-987-0005 or by filling out our convenient online form.
Birth Injury Support Groups Ohio
Life with a child who has suffered an injury during labor and delivery can be stressful and uncertain. Support groups, guidance, information, and resources can help your child and family deal with the many facets of living with and rehabilitating from a birth injury. The Brain Injury Association of Ohio (BIAOH) is one such example of a statewide advocacy and education organization offering services, rehabilitation opportunities, and lifelong community support to assist children with brain injuries and their families.
Ohio Parent to Parent (P2P) Statewide Mentoring & Support Program is another organization that matches parents and caregivers of a child with a special healthcare need to another parent or individual with experience raising a child with a disability. Support parents know about various services and resources and share their experiences with others to help them overcome barriers and learn more about navigating service systems.
Here are some additional resources and support available locally and nationwide:
- The Access Center for Independent Living (ACIL)
- Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities
- EasterSeals Central and Southeast Ohio
- Educational Service Center of Central OHIO
- Epilepsy Association
- Hamilton County Developmental Disabilities Services
- Ohio Coalition for the Education of Children with Disabilities (OCECD)
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center Ongoing Support Resources
- United Cerebral Palsy (UCP)
Birth injuries can be life-changing, and the recovery journey can be challenging to endure alone. Birth injury support groups can help families of children who suffer from birth injuries such as cerebral palsy, hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), and other disorders find information and resources to help their child heal after a traumatic birth injury and live life to the fullest.